1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of vehicular protection and specifically to the field of automotive body protection.
2. Background of the Related Art
Vehicles, such as cars, trucks, vans and the like (collectively “automobiles” or “vehicles”), may come into contact with other objects during operation of the vehicle or while the vehicle is parked on streets or in parking structures such as public parking garages. This type of contact may result in damage to the finish of the automobile such as scratches and transferred paint, and may include structural damage to the automobile such as denting or cracking.
In the past, several attempts have been made to protect automobile exteriors from precisely this type of damage without marring the overall appearance or operation of the vehicle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,790 discloses a “Deformable Vehicle Bumper Guard” comprised essentially of a block of cushioning material which is placed in front an automobile's bumper. This device does not protect the entire bumper, nor may it be readily attached to other portions of an automobile to protect them. Additionally, because the device is secured to the vehicle above the bumper it is designed to protect but is not constrained in any other direction, the device may be readily displaced during impact, thereby eliminating its protective value partially or completely.
Another example of an inadequate attempt to solve the above identified problems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,086 for an “External Cushion Protector for Bumper of a Parked Vehicle.” This patent discloses a cushioning device which is supported from above by clamping support structures between a rear lip of a trunk door and an automobile body. Additionally, the device is supported by magnets to the exterior of the automobile body. This device embodies several disadvantages, namely: (1) support via a trunk lid limits the use of the product to automobiles with trunks, thus excluding sport utility vehicles (“SUV's”), pickup trucks, station wagons and the like; (2) magnetic supports will not function on many of today's vehicles having composite, non-ferromagnetic bodies, thus rendering the device unusable; and (3) magnetic supports may scratch the automobile bodies as the device is applied and removed, thereby causing the very damage the device seeks to protect.
Still another example of an inadequate attempt to solve the problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,073, entitled “Automobile Rear Bumper Protector”. This patent discloses a device consisting of two “attachment handles” which are fixedly attached to the automobile and by means of which a panel is supported to cover the automobile's rear bumper. This device has the serious drawback of requiring the “attachment handles” to be installed via sheet metal screws or the like. Such attachment not only requires significant labor and equipment, but also may lead to corrosion at the points of installation. Furthermore, because the panel is supported only at its longitudinal ends, significant slippage may occur in the center of the panel, thereby exposing significant portions of the bumper to potential damage.
Yet another type of proposed solution requires the fabrication of a protective cover specifically designed to fit the contours of a particular automobile model. These devices, often referred to as “bras”, rely on the close correlation of cover shape and automobile shape, as well as the use of clips located on the device to attach to the automobile at points specific to the automobile model to secure the device to the vehicle. Examples of this type of device may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,056,817 and 4,997,229. These devices have the disadvantage of being specifically designed for particular automobile models, thus requiring manufacturers to manufacture and maintain inventory of large numbers of different designs.
With these considerations in mind, it is desirable to have a single device for protecting a wide range of automobile models that securely protects automobile exteriors without the need for labor intensive installation procedures.